The spring scenery of the steppes stretches out to the edge of the horizon.
The expedition team continues to trek in the direction indicated by the river.
As they do, they scarcely notice as the terrain beneath them changes. Until the party at last finds themselves walking across bare rock.
The uneven green rocks merge with grayish and purple granite, rough and jagged. In spots, tumbleweed and sand rice plants pierce through the jagged stone, billowing and cascading, and then plummeting down the cliff.
The travelers also feel as though they are moving downward. As the surrounding peculiarities increase, so too does their breathing, which becomes increasingly restricted.
Yenisei: pants
Krolik: You proved yourself right by ... finding running water for us ...
Krolik: So, I'm not ... judging you ... this time, but ...
Krolik: Are we going the wrong way?
Yenisei: No. This is the right direction.
Krolik: But it's getting harder and harder to breathe, even if we are going down the mountain.
Yenisei: What about you, Madam? Are you feeling alright?
Bessmert: I feel fine. Perhaps because I'm used to climbing mountains.
Bessmert: But we are definitely 3000 meters above the sea level now. It's normal if you're feeling unwell at this height. If only we still had alcohol ...
Bessmert: Well, it's just a thought. I wouldn't have gathered enough courage to climb up that slope if I hadn't taken the last few sips.
Bessmert shakes her head, dispelling unnecessary thoughts, and instead pursues another possibility.
Bessmert: But, child, are you sure we are on the right path?
Yenisei: I don't think it's wrong. The clearer the sign, the higher the accuracy.
Yenisei: And the sign I just saw happened to be exceptionally clear.
Bessmert: What about the others? Are you feeling alright? Shall we stop and take a short break?
Krolik: I have a bad feeling. Instead of a break, we need a new direction. Back home, for example.
Jurien: Before we do anything, can we have some rest? My head has been pounding for a while. I thought it was common in the mountains and you all felt the same.
Bessmert: Yes, headache is a common altitude sickness, Sir.
Yenisei: Wait, is that tumbleweed?! I don't think it belongs here.
Yenisei finally notices a large bundle trundling on not far away.
Bessmert: I hear ... Are they rolling nearby? Are you sure?
Bessmert: This is not the right season for them to roll and spread seeds.
Yenisei: I'm not seeing things, I guess, but I don't know why they are here. And those flowers ...
The team members at the end of their procession stop in their tracks. The others beside him also stop as a result.
Until the entire team comes to a standstill.
Team Member I: Something's wrong.
Team Member II: Hey you ... where are you taking us?
Team Member II: Haven't you noticed the rocks around us? Their color is abnormal. I've never seen anything like this, not even in books ...
Team Member II: And look at the holes in the rocks! They were made by water erosion! And that's not supposed to happen in this climate!
Yenisei: Calm down, Sir. Perhaps we have reached somewhere beyond other adventurers' records, but that's all ...
Team Member II: What about this?! How are you going to explain it?!
Team Member II: Another one of your stupid arcane skill tricks?
Yenisei lowers her head to look at what seem to be ordinary yellow flowers.
But these flowers wither almost immediately after blooming. It would be difficult to describe such a scene as anything less than a miracle or a curse.
Yenisei: What? This is ...
Bessmert: What is it? Explain what?
Yenisei: I don't know what species it is. It looks like a mini sunflower, but ...
Krolik: Told you we should head back. Something's wrong with this dump.
Team Member I: Agree. We have a situation now. We should go back while we still can.
Jurien: Ladies, I have to say this is beyond my imagination.
Yenisei: ...
Bessmert: It's just a flower, yes? Why are you all so scared? I can't see, but ...
Bessmert reaches out to grasp the flowers again, but the petals wither beneath her fingertips. Now more puzzled, she tries touching a complete cluster, but only ends up with a handful of withered husks.
The scent of these withered fragments turns rotten as their sweet fragrance disappears, leaving her having captured only the base note of their "perfume."
Bessmert: Emm? The smell ...
Krolik: Everything is wrong here. The fog is not supposed to form at this latitude, the terrain is strange, and the plants … they wither in an instant!
Team Member I: I don't want to say this, but this place seems to be cursed.
Team Member I: These phenomena make no sense. We have to go back now.
The voice of the young man is more resolute than ever before.
Faced with such a bizarre situation, escape is unarguably the most rational choice.
Yenisei: You heard them, Madam. What do you say? Things are indeed weird.
Bessmert: No, we are not returning. We have made it through the thunderstorm. What could be more dangerous than that?
Bessmert: Perhaps we are getting close, like those merchants said, there will be a "price" we must pay for the Ask and Acquire. Mr. Jurien, you also asked me about it, don't you remember?
Jurien: On the contrary, Madam, I remember it clearly. I have also told you my suspicion—it could be an exchange made between the arcanists and nature.
Bessmert: What? Of course not.
Jurien: Look around you—all these bizarre phenomena! You know I wasn't making things up. You set out to pursue that arcane skill, yet we ended up here ...
Krolik: I don't know what your next plan is, but count me out.
Agitated by this abnormal phenomenon and talk of a possible sacrifice, the young man pushes Bessmert aside and stands with the others at the back of the group.
A previous scene of division and opposition repeats itself.
Bessmert: No, I swear on my life, that is not my intention!
Yenisei: Madam Bessmert would never do that.
Yenisei: The point is, the compass doesn't work here. You will get lost on the way back without me.
Krolik: There's no doubt this is part of your scheme.
Yenisei: Excuse me?
Krolik: Mr. Jurien already told us about your secret arcane skill. It's our last hope of getting home in this plight.
Bessmert: ...
Krolik: We trust him. That being the case, you must come with us.
Yenisei: No. I came here with Madam Bessmert. I'm not leaving without her.
Yenisei also expresses her intentions clearly. Never having been one to be swayed by external forces, unless ...
Bessmert: Let's ...
Yenisei: It's fine, Madam. We can keep going on our own ...
Bessmert: Let's go back.
Yenisei: ...?!
… Unless the person she is supporting lowers her head first.
Bessmert: It's alright. Though I can't see, I can imagine how shocking it must be to make you so uneasy.
Bessmert: When we get back to the pastureland ...
Krolik: I'm sorry, Madam. We are not taking you.
Krolik: I don't think we have enough supplies for everyone to make it back, so certainly someone must be abandoned.
Yenisei takes a step closer until she is completely blocking the depressed Bessmert's path.
Yenisei: Then, allow me to say no. I will not show you the way without Madam Bessmert in the team.
Bessmert: No, Yeni. You're going with them.
Yenisei: But they are leaving you behind!
Krolik: Looks like your assistant has made her own decision. Sorry, but I never thought it would end up like this ...
Team Member I: Enough with the talking. My apologies, ladies.
Yenisei: What ... What are you doing?!
They are now facing each other, seeming to have decided to end their dispute through force.
They are acutely aware that sacrificing one might save the many.
It is a simple matter of arithmetic.
COMBAT
Standing upright is a phenomenon exclusive to humans. It is a miracle born of a desire to break free from the earth and move upward towards the sky.
The outcome unfolds quite apart from everyone's expectations.
Yenisei: What?
Striped Horse?: neighs
Yenisei: I-I don't understand. What is ... What is going on?!
Even though they acknowledge the untimely nature of their dispute, they are left to witness all hope of reconciliation disintegrate before them.
Yenisei receives no answer, as the people standing in front of her now have lost the ability to reply.